Working Hard and Going Nowhere Fast?

Try not to become a man of success. Rather become a man of value. –Albert Einstein

Bessie is hard working but never really gets anywhere. There are a lot of folks who can relate to her in that regard. Working your backside off to receive the applause and acclaim of no one is all too familiar to most. Thankfully this reality doesn’t determine Bessie’s or anyone else’s importance.

Bessie spends the majority of her time on a little horse farm helping out with some of the hardest and most grueling farm chores. Farming can be arduous work. Farm is a four letter word right, W-O-R-K? Bessie knows this well and has even been known to sit in one spot and just grit and grind for hours at a time, pushing herself to her limit, all to help out a farmer.

Bessie isn’t seeking any glory, or a promotion. She will never climb the corporate ladder. No, she will never be any stronger, smarter, or faster than she is today. Yet, that doesn’t take away from her value. Her worth is not determined by how far she gets but rather by how hard working she is on the job at hand. To perform, in the moment, with all her might is what determines her merit. See, Bessie’s effort and productivity is measured by the hour and not by the mile. Bessie is a tractor.

Many folks often feel as though they are just spinning their wheels in life, getting nowhere fast. It’s hard working to raise small children, care for a chronically ill friend, a child with a disability, an aging parent, or to work full time and get an education. All of these circumstances can make progress seem distant. The reality is that these hard working people are often the ones providing the most value. Like Bessie, their worth is found in serving others, in the moment, by completing the task at hand with all their might. Their effort too is measured by the hour and not by the mile.